


Christmas means awful music

by Orangebubble



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Background HankCon - Freeform, Chris is so nice and a secret gossip, Christmas, Christmas market, Cyberlife is not amused, Dpd, Gavin AND Nines are bad at emotions, Gavin is a softy, Hating Christmas, It has lots of awful music, M/M, Nines is baby, Pre-Relationship, Present Shopping, Some viewing of a panic attack, Tina is a decoration queen, crowds, embarressment, okay, or more disliking it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:48:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22134292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orangebubble/pseuds/Orangebubble
Summary: Experiencing his first Christmas, Nines doesn't really know what to make of it.So many different views on the holiday.Going present shopping with his partner maybe help him in making his own decision about the holiday.He had least know that it has a lot of awful music.Written for the Reed900WinterExchange19 on Twitter
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	Christmas means awful music

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThatScottishShipper](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/gifts).



> It's the gift for ThatScottishShipper! 
> 
> Prompt was to "Something like Nines experiencing his first run up to Christmas, with Gavin (and a little Nines) snarking everything (like Busy Crowds! Never ending Christmas tunes!) but Nines admitting that he enjoys spending time with his Partner?" 
> 
> I hope I delivered that! Even if I think myself there is not enough snark, but it also not really my field.
> 
> Enjoy!

Nines didn’t really know how to make of this season of cheer and jolliness. He had been activated in the January after the revolution, found in a secret Cyberlife lab, so he had missed the last time. 

He understood that humans in the bleak months of winter and at the ending of the year searched for things to cheer them up. And how Detroit light up around this time in one way or another, was clearly raising the mood of many, androids or humans alike. 

Connor was one of them. Since the month of December started he had been more cheerful than his normal self. All smiles, humming Christmas songs under his breath and volunteering instantly when Officer Chen looked for help to decorate the precinct. 

From what Nines knew Christmas was the first holiday that Hank, his partner in more than one way, had introduced him too, after the revolution and Connor becoming deviant. So it held a special place for his older brother. 

Hank with being around Connor most of the day was also infected by the holiday cheer. Not as bad as his partner, but he was in a cheery and festive mood, helping Connor around with his decorating and allowing him to do whatever he pleased with the decorations around their shared desk and at their home. 

Officer Chen, Tina as she insisted he called her after the third time he had called her with her title, a human he would call one of his few friends, was clearly on the holiday. As the head of the so-called ‘committee of Christmas’ that had no legal standing in the order of the DPD, she was set on to get everybody in the right mood and decorating the precinct to everybody’s pleasure. Nines didn’t really know how she got away with all of this, was some clearly against regulations - the holding cells didn’t need decorations, that could be creatively used as weapons - but she did.   
Officer Miller, Chris as the man also insisted with a friendly smile on his lips, had told him Fowler had a weak spot for Tina. If it was because she was friends with his daughter or reminded her of his wife, which Nines would meet at the Christmas party the first time, Chris didn’t really know. It just let the woman do as she pleased to a certain degree. Mistletoes were vetoed out a few years back after a huge debacle that had the HR on their hackles against the precinct for a few months.  
Tina was more than sad about that and lamented ever so often about the fact. In her words, the poisoned plants would bring the real cheer to the precinct. 

But besides all the people that were clearly in excitement of the holiday, nearly anybody to some degree at least, there were some exceptions. Officer Brown Nines could understand, from what he had heard from Tina it was a traumatic month in total for the man. So everybody left him mostly in peace with Christmas stuff.  
His own partner, on the other hand, the one and only Sergeant Gavin Reed, was not so easily explained. 

If Nines was honest with himself his human partner was never easy to explain or at all. When Nines thought he had him figured out Gavin came up with something new. It puzzled and frustrated him to a degree, but it was also so fascinating. Keeping him on his feet and made his folder of his partner grow with more information. It delighted him more than would like to admit. Even if it made his circuits tingle even more whenever he gets one of Reed's real smiles. Not the common smirks, threatening toothy smiles or his more friendly grins. The ones that made him look younger, less rugged from his job, boyish and full of happiness.   
The few he has been honored to see were saved deep in his memory secured under more protocols than necessary for such a thing. But he was deviant, activated as one, and so he had all the rights to save data as he liked. 

Nines was just glad that he had come this far with his partner. Had their introduction not been ideal in any way, it hadn’t really helped that it had been Valentine's Day. He had known that the detective was not in favor of his kind, so he had tried to prepare for it. But the human had been more displeased that he had been given a partner at all, the android factor adding some to the fact. 

However, with time and a lot of patience in his part they had gotten over it because Nines wasn’t really free of fault in this regard. Yes, it was spurred by the behavior of the human, but if he boasted how much better he was than the other than he should have been also the bigger person. But being deviant allowed him to choose and so he had chosen a different path, one that in the end brought him where they were now. 

They had learned with time to work together as partners, made a more efficient team, that was rivaling Connors and Hanks's partnership. Nines had learned more of his partner and where his hate came from, had understood it better. Which still wasn’t an excuse but it helped to see it in a different perspective.   
And the detective had changed as well, had apologized to Connor, had stopped with any derogatory language and nicknames and his rash behavior to him and other androids. 

Some things stayed, of course, Reed still had a sharp tongue and he more often than not would talk before he thought, but Nines pushed back. _Banter_ , Connor named this between them. It had made Nines feel warm the first time he had recognized it as such. And he also loved to see the little sparkle in Gavin’s ever-changing eyes, whenever they fell into it.   
Of course, also the nicknames had stayed, changed but stayed. Were said with less heat and maybe some fondness. But out of it also his name, _Nines_ , had been born. Something he treasured dearly and was more than thankful for. 

But in all the things Nines knew about his partner, had learned about him in their time together, he didn’t really understand his aversion to the holiday.

Reed hated everything, snarked about everything and made it widely known how displeased he was about all of it. 

He hated the snow that had fallen heavily the last few weeks, clothing Detroit in a fluffy white for a few hours till it got grey and mushy with the dealings of the city. The city and its workers, working endlessly to have the upper hand over the white flakes.   
Nines understood the inconvenience the heavy snowfall presented for their work and the detective life. But he thought that the human should be used by it now, had he been born and raised in Detroit, where snowfall was more than common in the winter months and early spring and late autumn, even more with the climate change that he had lived through in his younger years.   
But still, the human snarled and cursed about the white chaos every time he got outside. Nines made his own comments about it to placated the human a little, but was in truth more fascinated how the snow fell from the sky and even more how it nested daintily on the hair of his human partner. 

Besides the seasonal weather, the detective hated everything that Tina presented to get the holiday into the precinct. The decorations, the music, even the food that all the other humans - liking Christmas or not - were very happy about. Hank maybe a little too happy, how much he ate in sugary goods under the watchful eyes of Connor.

The decorations, even if many, Nines thought were tactful and not overwhelming and he saw the beauty in them. They even included decorations for Hanukkah for Detective Collins and his beliefs.   
If asked on one occasion or another, he would give his opinion on them when asked and was more than pleased when it was included.   
But his partner had his desk void of any decorations. Not a speck of the desk had some indication of the holiday. Or more had, a few days ago his partner had come to his desk decorated to the last free space. Lametta from his monitor, little figurines, fake snow, a small plastic Christmas tree and even a talking toy reindeer that was motion detecting and wished him a “Jolly Dolly Holiday” every time he activated it.   
His partner had been more than furious and had cursed up a storm against the culprit, which was easy to identify as Tina. Chris had told him that this happened every year and Tina got more and more over the top every year. 

The Detective had needed the whole morning to clean his desk, cursing the whole time and sending dirty looks to the culprit. Nines had offered to help but was declined with a hiss that he should keep his own decorations as far as possible from the other desk. His decorations being a small snowball and some lametta hanging from one side of his desk. Not wanting to make the human angrier, Nines had complied, pushing the snowball the furthest away from the other desk but still so that he could see it. To help his partner to calm down, he had made some coffee, especially how he liked it.   
It had helped but the Detective had still been in a mood the whole day, Tina’s teasing not helping at all. 

With the music Nines wholeheartedly agreed with his partner. It was more than annoying to hear the same songs over and over again. He had a particular dislike for the song “Last Christmas”. At least Tina had to keep it in the breakroom and on a low volume. Not that he still could hear it but he was able to ignore it. His partner shouldn’t hear it from his place in the bullpen but still fished out some noise-canceling headphones. Nines had fun the few times he could surprise his partner with connecting with the appliance to talk to him and point something out on the case they were working on.   
The music but of course didn’t stop there. Had they before listening to the radio in the car, they now listened to the Detectives' own private playlists of music. Which didn’t really follow any genre or pattern that Nines could use for his analysis of his partner, but was a delight in itself to learn. It just made the fascination Nines had for his human partner grow. 

Food was a whole different topic, the Detective would eat it with when offered but don’t show as much as delight like the other humans for the sugary treat. This way Nines learned that his partner didn’t have a sweet tooth at all. Useless information but it was safely stored away in the ever-growing folder. 

But besides these, there were even more things that the human cursed and snarked about daily, if not hourly and Nines agreed on all points. The crowds of people all over the streets were a hindrance to their work. That humans and androids alike started to flock to another because of the cold was just making it worse. Chases in the month of December were no fun. He liked them as they appealed greatly to his base programming of a hunter, but with all the foreign objects in his way, it made it more difficult and annoying for him, his partner and as well the suspect they were chasing. Connor advised him to see it as a challenge, but that had lost his novelty a long time ago.   
The Detective, on the other hand, seem to not just like crowds in general, Nines had yet to found out why. But he started to follow the sentiment, it was too much a hassle.

And of course one of the biggest factors were the crimes that spiked up through the season. Sometimes in the moments when they were swapped with new cases of homicide and other brutal crimes because emotions were amped up in this time a tenfold on humans and androids alike, Nines wished that both races would just hibernate for the season. It would make things easier for everybody.   
Seeing dead bodies in the snow was macabre beautiful on the first time, but was getting old quickly and the weather also didn’t help with his analysis. Coming to a break-in that went wrong was also something that started to bore him. But work was work and had to be done.

With all these views he was given on the season and holiday Nines still didn’t know what to make of it. If he hated it like his partner or adored it like Tina and his brother.  
He had already participated in a few things to get more data for a decision.

Connor and him and decorated the tree and house of the Anderson household with lights and tinsel and all the ornaments that Hank’s garage had to offer. It had been a fun activity and yes it had to get him also to hum to a few songs that Connor had played for the time. It made him feel cozy warm doing such things with his brother, with his family.   
Baking cookies with Connor had been also a fun activity and Tina and Chris had been very happy for the share that he had given them. Even if Hank had the opinion that it lost his novelty when two androids were baking and making the perfectly formed and tasting cookies. He had still eaten there cookies with gusto so Nines didn’t take it to heart.   
Of course, he has also made some for his partner, sadly before knowing that the man didn’t have anything going for sweets, Nines wondered if he had lost the ability with all the piping hot coral black coffee he drank. Nevertheless, the human had eaten one cookie before packing the little bag away with a comment of “Don’t like sweets much, but taste good Nines.” It had made him smile bright and his partner looking away and blushing. He hoped that the few cookies that he had gotten were still eaten by the human and not thrown away. 

Besides all the home activities Nines also had joined Connor and Hank on a few trips they took to an open ice skating and one of the many Christmas markets that had popped up all over the city. He enjoyed ice skating and promised himself to do it more in the future as he was still searching for a hobby to pass the time. Being on the ice felt nice, it cleared his head and made him feel at peace.   
The markets were full of people but still enjoyable, many stalls with self-made goods and food. Now that some time had passed since androids had gained their rights, some booths even offered food and drinks imitations for androids. He took a liking to the lights of those little markets and all the smells around it.  
But even that lost its charm when he was the third wheel to all these trips. He was happy for his brother and Hank, who was a dear friend and help him when he was fresh in deviancy, but still, he missed having someone by his side.   
  
However, these thoughts were starting to fade when he came back to work and there to some bigger problems. For one the case - a triple homicide with no real evidence - and the fact that of course with all the Christmas cheer going around the bullpen they had a Secret Santa. Out of the box that Chris had offered around he had pulled Detective Collins, not a bad catch. He knew the man on some level and he was friendly to Nines, but that didn’t mean he knew the least of what to gift him.  
So after a long fruitless search of his own, he had asked for help. However this time he hadn’t gone to his usual source, his brother and Hank, but back to his partner. It had been a spur of the moment thing and his pre-construction had shown him a high failure rate, but he had taken the risk. To his utter surprise and delight, his partner had said yes.

And now they were here in an already overfilled mall, searching for presents. Moving down the escalator next to his partner and seeing more and more of the crowd and starting to hear the overly loud Christmas music, he wanted to be anywhere else but here. 

“Fucking people.”

The curse of his partner brought him out of his thoughts of escaping the building. 

“Indeed, Detective.” He answered in the driest tone possible. 

That got him a snicker from the human and his system saved the sound promptly to his favorite folder. They came to the end of the escalator and stepped off, the human taking the lead in finding them a route through all the humans. 

“Why did you wanted to go shopping again?” He asked over his shoulder, just moving out of the way of a running child.  
“For presents, Detective. Detective Collins Secret Santa gift especially. But I also need to get a gift for anybody else.”

The human let out a “Humpf” sound and kept walking, away from the escalators the crowds thinned slightly. Nines didn’t like the silence that settled between them.

“Do you still need to buy presents, Detective?”

Instead of an answer, his partner stopped abruptly in front of him and without his software, he would have walked into the smaller man. The Detective turned and looked at him with an expression that Nines couldn’t really decipher, his eyebrows furrowed together and his nose wrinkled in the way it was when he was irritated by something. He thought it was an adorable expression. 

“Why do you still call me that?” He sounded accusing.

“Call you what, Detective?”

The human stepped closer like he was trying to intimidate him.

“This. Why do you call me Detective?”

Nines' thoughts were reeling with this admission, his software trying desperately to get up the equations to answer. 

“You never offered me to use anything else, Detective.” Was what presented to him as the most successful option.

With how the other's expression changed, it hadn’t been the right one. 

“I’m pretty sure I did.”

He searched through all his memories. 

“No, you didn’t Detective. I have no log in my files were you offered me such a thing.”

“Bullshit, terminator. Of course, I did, why shouldn’t I!” Now a poking accusing finger found its way on Nines' chest. 

A dry comeback was on his lips but he chose another option. 

“You, implied such thing yes. But you never really offered me to use anything else.”

He was looked at baffled for a second before a deep tried sigh left the human's lips. He pinched the back off his nose and closed his eyes, grumbling under his breath “Fucking androids”. A gesture of annoyance he had seen more often than not done by the human.  
Opening his eyes he looked back at him. 

“So let me get this straight. You called me by my title the whole fucking time, which got me dirty looks from anyone, even a talk from your brother! Your brother! Because I didn’t give you the word for word permission to use my name as anybody else does.”

Well, that sounded stupid even to him and he had to talk with Connor. This was not acceptable behavior he could take care of himself. 

“It seems so, Detective.”

In seemingly defeat the man threw up his arms. Nines quickly looked around, slightly embarrassed that the human made such a scene. 

The human calmed down.

“Okay. So for the record, so we can stop this whole charade. I give you the uttermost permission to call me by my given name.” 

Nines' metaphorical heart beat faster and he could feel his inside turn a pleasantly warm. 

“So that means I can call you, Gavin Alexander Kami-”

Rough hands flew to his mouth, stopping him to let anymore sound out.

“Not that!”

An amused smirk formed under the Detectives hands. He was let go and Gavin, _Gavin_ , looked at him more than irritated, no more pouting like a child. 

“I never should have told you that.” Sometimes his partner was like a grumbly toddler. 

“But you did, Gavin.” 

Oh, how lovely it felt to say that name. He had imagined it a few times if he was honest with himself, when he was in stasis and could form preconstruction after preconstruction in the empty Zen garden, to his liking. But it had nothing to actually saying the name in the real world, with permission no less. 

“And I felt and feel very honored that you trusted me like that.” He really felt that way. 

A lovely shade of red crawled up the cheeks of his partner, his program took a photo in a second, and he looked away shyly. It was moments like this that Nines treasured the most.

“And still it didn’t get through your thick head that it was a permission to call me by my first name.”  
A small smirk now also played on Gavin’s lips and the sparkle that he so adored was back in his green eyes. His inside tingled in delight. 

But still, he decided to give his partner the win this time and stepped next to him, not wanting to walk behind him anymore. 

“That still doesn’t answer my previously asked question, Gavin. Did you need to buy any presents.”

“Pff.” With an eye roll for the extra drama, Gavin turned and they started to walk again, side by side in step. 

“For your information, I don’t. I don’t like this whole commerce thing around Christmas.”

“Oh. So you won’t participate in the Secret Santa.”

Gavin let out a barking laugh.

“Good one, Nines. As if Tina would let me. Of course, I do.”

“But what do you gift then?” Confusion was clearly written on his face. 

“Ever heard of self-made stuff? If you go with all the mushy parols they scream over this time, it comes more from the heart like anything else you can buy.”

The information that the Detec- Gavin, had a creative hobby or serval was quickly added to his date. But also made him think. And he must have done that too long in silence because Gavin started to talk again.

“Hey, that doesn’t mean that you can’t buy someone a great gift.”

He must have a crestfallen expression on his face when this was Gavin’s reaction. 

“But you are right on the sentiment that it would mean more if I made something myself.”

The human groaned in frustration and under his breath grumbled something that Nines could make out as “fucking puppy dog eyes”.

Gavin stopped again and so made Nines do the same, looking down at him.

“Look, Nines, a gift is a gift, okay. As long as you put thought into it, it doesn’t really matter if you brought it or made it yourself. You just shouldn't buy the next best thing you see. That’s a shitty thing to do. Like hell I’m an easy guy, buy me socks and I’m happy.”

He stayed silent for a moment. 

“You like socks?”

Gavin stared at him blankly for a moment, then huffed amused. 

“Is that really the only thing you get out of that?”

Nines started to walk again, Gavin falling easily in step.

“No, but it was more of the interesting parts.” A smirk played on his lips and Gavin let out a short laugh. 

“Sure. But back to topic, you need presents, for whom. Because I gotta tell you I can help with Ben someway, but dunno about the other stuff.”

“I need something for Tina and Chris, Hank and Connor of course but also something for Simon, Josh, North and Markus. And not to forget Sumo.”

“Wait. What. You need a present for Robo Jesus?!” Splattered the human next to him in surprise.

He raised an eyebrow in question.

“Yes?”

“Since when are you buddy buddy with him? And the other holey figures.”

“To be honest they were more Connor’s friends than mine when I got to know them. But with time meeting each individually and the fact that they all helped me with my deviation and the process after, we formed a quiet close friendship. With Markus added to the fact that he is also and RK.”

That made his partner stop, so he did as well.

“Are you telling me that you are the baby brother not only of Connor but also the android savior?”

“If you see it that way, well yes, even if Markus nor I call each other brothers. I only do that with Connor. And I’m also no baby Gavin, I was modeled after a man in his early 30ths.”

“You were not activated even a year ago! You’re not even one!”

“Physical time doesn-”

But Gavin already dismissed his argument with a hand gesture. 

“Yada, yada. Not important at the moment. You need a gift for these guys and your big bro and my brain needs to concentrate on something else than your crazy family connections. So were to first?”

He was slightly displeased with this change of topic, but he has learned from his partner that not every battle had the need to be won. And he was here enduring the horrible music that was playing and the busy people around him for a purpose. 

“Two stores further is a shop that deals Tina’s favorite cosmetics, I think that would be a good start.”

Gavin grinned at him and all his displeasure about the argument form before were forgotten.

“See, you’re not bad at this! Common, let’s go! I hope they have better music at the store. Is the operator deaf or why did he play such shit!”

Nines smiled at him, agreeing in his thoughts. No one with an intact hearing would play this foul music on repeat.

\--  
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Shopping with his partner had been an experience. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed that, not at all! It had been the most fun he had in a long time. Gavin had not left any opportunity to snark about the over the top decor of the mall (“A fucking pink reindeer?! What the fuck!”) or any product on sale (“Why should I pay 20 dollars more, just because the candle is in a Christmas themed package?”) or the music. Which to his displeasure had been more often than he liked been “Last Christmas” by Wham.

He after some time getting out of his mission to find presents had joined Gavin in his snarking about everything. They had gotten more than one dirty looks from other customers, but ignored it. And it was fun, Gavin’s eyes sparkling with amusement when he joined him in his lamenting. 

Besides that he actually had found presents for everybody he wanted, Gavin being more help than he had thought himself. 

Tina had gotten her cosmetics a small basket full of it because he couldn’t really decide what not to take. And his partner had made a show of smelling every offered bath bomb and even buying a few. Not letting himself be rushed by other customers who also wanted their turn. Nines had enjoyed watching him and also imagined Gavin in a huge tube full of bubbles, which made him smile and let his insides tingle in a different way. 

A book for Josh that he and him had talked about, but only in combo with an explanation to Gavin why he preferred physical books to just downloading anything. It also had the result that he now knew that Gavin liked it this way too, and he was very happy that they now had something in common. 

Art supplies for Markus, which Gavin still insisted was his big brother and so that should be written on the card when he let it be warped by one of the employees. With an eye roll he had relented, but only to see Gavin’s pleased grin and maybe to confuse Markus.   
A new record was brought for Hank, which he had beforehand researched furiously to not get the man something he already had. Gavin had actually agreed on the music. From their shared time in the car with the radio off, Nines had learned, that Gavin liked Jazz but despised any other music that Hank liked so much. 

For North he had found some android snacks, that he knew she liked to eat after they had their work out, all bundled up in a pretty box. Gavin had been more than curious about it, in general of the different snacks, and to Nines surprise also had brought some. For whom Nines didn’t want to assume but some were the favorites of himself that he had pointed out. And a man could hope. 

Simon, Markus's partner and the one that Nines kept to help out when he visited New Jericho got some scented candles, that he recognized by the smell from Simon’s office. It was also were Gavin had been the most outraged about the price, to Nines complete understanding and own delight. 

In a nearby tea shop on their route through the massive mall, Gavin remembered them being small and dying out in his youth, which earned him an “old man”-comment from Nines. It was taken with a shocked face than a laugh and accepted with a weak punch to his shoulder. It was lovely. He had gotten Chris's favorite tea, had the man never been a huge tea drinker himself. And to his surprise, even Gavin had brought some, one of the more exotic and pricey products. He could guess for who it was when the man grumbled under his breath about an “Undercut hipster” and paid for his mate tea. 

With the help of Gavin, he had decided to get Connor an ornament for the tree at home. Gavin had assured him that it was not in bad taste, gifting someone something Christmasy for Christmas when the person would like it. And Nines was sure the fancy glass ornaments he had found in a nice deep blue, two shades darker than thirirum, with a hand-drawn on white Christmas scene would delight his brother. They sparkled nicely in the light of the window and had coughed his eyes at first glance. 

For Detective Collins, the person he had originally asked help for, was also a present found. With Gavin extended knowledge of the man, he actually was on good terms with even before he changed, and Nines' ability to analyze any past conversation with the man, they had agreed on a calendar. It was specially made for fishing, a hobby the Detective greatly enjoyed, it was interactive in the way, that besides showing the normal day and holiday, it also showed the season of fish you could find around Detroit per month and gave you information about them, that updated if connected to the internet. It was a little over the price range that the gift should be, but Nines was more than happy to pay for it. He has the funds and had already thought too much about any present he could possibly gift to the older Detective. 

The last present he chose was for Sumo, some toys and treats that he knew Connor would strictly manage the intake of because Sumo wasn’t the youngest anymore. The comment “Like is owner” got Gavin a soft slap on his shoulder. But the human brought also somethings for his own pats, he had three cats - Nini, Nana, and Nono - which Nines had the honor to meet already. He liked them, they were cute and had very soft fur. So he also decided to buy them some small things and present it, Gavin, as a gift for them. The smile he had gotten was now saved as one of his favorites. 

They also had spent a long time in a particular shop, which just sold socks. The human hadn’t been lying when he said, that he liked socks. He had brought some himself, they were with a silly pattern of different fruits and made him grin happily. With the help of the wireless connection he had with all androids and the only other android employee he made an order of a few pairs, all in the Detectives size and the ones he had been eyeing but not purchasing. It would all be delivered to Connors and Hanks residents the next day. He hoped the human appreciated the present and the ones that he had chosen himself. They were the kind of socks with cat ears at the border in a nice shade of green. 

Now loaded with all their purchases in more than a few bags, they stood outside the pet store, their last stop, resting for a second.

“We finished now, right?”

“I suppose so, I got everything I needed in the form of presents.”

Gavin groaned happily.

“Heck yes, I wanna go home.”

An uneasy feeling made itself known inside Nines. He didn’t want to go home. He wanted to spend more time with his partner. His software got online without his direct command, searching the area for anything to prolong their stay, while Gavin kept on talking about the music again. 

“Hey! Nines? You, okay? Your LED is doing a disco.”

Blinking quickly to get all the prompts from his HUD, something that was not necessary but he had adopted as human mannerism. He forced his LED to spun in a calm blue.

“Yes…”

“You sure?” He sounded concerned.

Quickly Nines looked to the one thing his program had found with the highest success rate. 

“There is a Christmas Market, outside.”

“Huh?” Gavin followed his glance to the big windows of the mall and yes outside was small Christmas Market formed in a line and ending to a nearby park, at the moment relatively empty.

“And? They are all over the city, Nines. What’s so special about it?”

He really hoped that worked, he was not good at it, as Hank had told him when it was not work-related.

“I never had been on one.”

He felt a little bit bad for lying. 

“Oh.”

He turned to his partner, trying to see if the lie was found. Gavin was a Detective after all. But nothing gave him the indication. More so Gavin let out an annoyed huff, but from the tone, Nines knew that it was more for show than the truth. 

“I should really have a talk with Eli about giving you all those puppy dog eyes.”

He didn’t answer, waiting in anticipation. 

Gavin huffed some more. “Okay, fine, fine. We can go, but not for ages you hear me! The guys at home will destroy the flat if I don’t return on some point.”

Nines smiled brilliantly at him and again color came to the humans' cheeks. 

“And we first bring this stuff to the car, no way I walking all packed around!”

“Of course, Gavin.” 

He was more than pleased with himself and followed the again huffing man to the underground garage. 

\--  
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Even with his thick winter jacket, that the Detective luckily had exchanged for his normal leather jacket after the first Snowfall at the end of October, he shivered when he stepped out of the warm mall halls. Nines did no such thing, his system adjusting immediately to the temperature change, as well as the fact that he was made for the cold from the beginning. 

They waited together at the street light to cross the street to the other side where the market was. Nines still had a smile on his lips. Following the movement of all the people around them, they made their way over when the light turned green. 

Stepping closer to the market Nines olfactic sensors caught the typical smell of grilled and fried food, sugary confections, and warm beverages. He took a deep breath. 

“You already enjoying this too much.” Was grumbled at his side. 

“It has a certain charm I must say.” 

“Pff, wait till you see the prices here.”

They kept walking closer to the typical small wooden cabins where the vendors stayed in. Everything was decorated with a fake evergreen garland that gave of an artificial smell of the actual tree, reds, and golds, some white and everything was a little too sparkly. Ignoring the already grey and soggy snow around the area it made a pretty picture. 

“Common. Let’s get something to eat, I’m hungry after all this walking. I think this one over there has also something for you.”

“Weren’t you just complaining about the prices?” Amusement high in his voice. 

Gavin rolled his eyes. 

“And? I need to eat. Also, you’re paying. I only set foot into this because you want to.”

“Is that so?” 

“Yes, it is! It’s only fair.” 

The human was in Nines' opinion very cute when he was pouting. 

“Of course.” He agreed with a smile, ignoring Gavin's huff in victorious agreement. They made their way over to the said cabin. 

Getting food was only a matter for minutes as not many people were around. Nines paid like they had agreed, even if he found the food he tasted mediocre, but Gavin was happily munching on his. The human had also insisted that he got some mulled wine that had been made for androids, together with him. A tradition that Gavin actually seemed to like.   
It was tard and sweet and Nines could see what the other man saw in it. It also brought a shy red blush to the human's cheeks, that Nines thought was very lovely and complementing his features. Not that he would ever tell him that. 

With food and drink in their hands, that Gavin insisted they eat at the stall and not while walking around, they watched the goings and comings of other visitors, Gavin even pointing out some stalls he wanted to visit. Finished eating they made their way over the market, searching out the stores they were interested in and viewing the market. 

Nines brought a small dainty snowball form one stall to add to the one on his desk as well as one for Lucy. Which he knew was his therapist foremost before his friend, but she had helped and still helped him a lot, so he thought it was appropriated. He also found some more ornaments for Connor, made out of wood and shaped like different breeds of dogs. Gavin was telling him that he was just spoiling Connor this way, but Nines thought none of that and brought a Saint Bernard shaped one with delight. 

At one of the many confectionery stalls, Gavin made a halt, to the android's confusion. Under Nines' confused glance he explained that Tina would bummer him for ages if he didn’t bring her some candied nuts back, the woman loving the sweet. 

After this they continued their walk, watching and talking about the different things they saw, stalls and just the festive in general. So deep in their conversation and own little world, they didn’t notice when a crowd started to form around them, surrounding them slowly. Nines noticed it first when he felt Gavin, who had started to step closer to him because of all the people around him, got rigid and a quick scan showed him that his stress levels were rising. Looking around him and seeing all the people around them, pressed together an uneasy feel made itself known. Maybe he started to understand why the human didn’t like big crowds so much besides their inconvenience to their work. 

But before he could voice his concern about Gavin to said man, the other had already grabbed him without care around his right hand and pulled him along, seemingly searching for a way out of the crowd. Nines' artificial breath stopped for a moment when he felt Gavins cold and rough hand against his skin. It was amazing. But he couldn’t linger long enough about it, with the way Gavin was pulling on his hand. So he got out of his head and tried the best to not push against too many people while they sought out their way to freedom. 

It felt longer than the clock in his HUD informed him to get out of the crowd. He heard Gavin taking a deep breath. He didn’t look too good a little ashy even. Their eyes meet after a second of watching him and then Gavin’s fell to their still connected hands when Nines gave him a soft squeeze to comfort him. Like he had been burned, the human dropped his hand and took a step back, a deep red on his cheeks, crawling up to the back of his nose.

Nines already missed the contact. 

“ Sorry about that. But I don’t do got with crowds.”  
He pulled his still lose hanging hand back, hide it in the pocket of his jacket like the other man.

“No apology needed, Gavin. I get what you mean.”

He gifted the other a reassuring smile which seems to help him calm down.

“Thanks. You still wanna see the rest?” With his head, Gavin pointe to the few stalls left, before the park began.

“If you would like.”

If Gavin needed a moment after this, Nines was more than glad to give him some or just go home entirely. He wanted the other comfortable around him. 

“In for a penny in for a pound, or however that goes, I guess.” Was declared with a still-shaky grin. 

Nines was still concerned about the human, but also didn’t really know what to do. And if Gavin wanted to continue he would like that very much. 

“After you.”

They started their walk again, back to the distance between them.

The last few cabins were not much, some food and goods. They stopped at one which sold wind chimes for a bit but didn’t buy anything. In the end, Nines made movement to stop because now the time he had with Gavin was clearly over, but the human kept walking, ignoring the fact that no more cabin was at the park. 

Thinking better of it Nines got back into step with him. A comfortable silence between them. Maybe Gavin did need something after the crowd and that was keeping on walking. Nines was more than happy to deliver it. 

They walked for good 20 minutes before Gavin started to curse. 

“Really again! We just had snow yesterday!”

Indeed small dainty flakes, fluffy like feathers, were falling from the cloudy white sky.

“Snow was predicted by the weather station for today.”

Gavin send him a dirty look.

“Not helping Nines.”

They kept on walking, more slower now, because Gavin was still up in his grumbling about the snow and the weather and the season of winter in general. Listening with half an ear, Nines tried to formulate a question that had been in his thoughts for a long time now.

“Why do you hate Christmas, Gavin?”

Gavin sputtered in his cursing and then stopped. 

“I don’t hate Christmas! I just… just dislike some things about it and the whole thing around it.”

He looked at the other, eyebrow raised in disbelief. 

“I don’t think ‘most things’ cover 90% of everything that happens in this time of year.”

“I just don’t like all the commercial stuff okay! All this buying of useless stuff just to you can boast what you all got for Christmas! Or the fake cheer everybody is up to! Winter is shit and they know it! And don’t start me on the stupid music!”

“That still doesn’t sound like you don’t hate it. Let me change the question: What do you even like about Christmas?”

They walked for a minute, Gavin either really think hard about it or just letting him wait because he could.

“I like the lights, even with all this light pollution going on around this time. But not too much. You should see the ugly thing my neighbor has on his rooftop. And I like…”

The man stopped himself, color again raising to his skin, and buried his face in his black scarf and winter jacket. Not looking at his partner.

Nines stepped closer, he wanted to know what Gavin was not telling him.

“And?” 

A quick glance was thrown in his directions before Gavin looked away again. They took a few steps before he talked again.

“I like, th-that you come together? Like celebrating this stupid holiday together. Because you know, with all the work we always have and even more, now, we don’t really see each other.” Nines perked up at these words, Gavin noticed and paddled back.”I-I mean I don’t see Tina and Chris that much or anybody else. It’s nice just spending time with family and friends for a little, okay.”

With deep red cheeks and clearly embarrassed Gavin looked away, not daring to look at the other.   
Even with the back paddling of his confession, Nines couldn’t stop smiling. Silence settled between them while they kept on walking. 

“I must agree with you.”

“Huh?” 

Had it really been that long that Gavin had just forgotten what he had said a few minutes back?

“It’s nice having time with people that are important to me and I’m happy with that. Our job doesn’t really give us time for that.”

“Yeah.”

Nines searched Gavin’s eyes, the man was now less red in his face and smiled at him.

“I’m also more than happy, that you allow me to spend time with you Gavin, around this season.” 

If he had thought Gavin had been red before, he had been very wrong. In a second the human was so red that he had a resemblance to the deep red baubles that Connor had hung in the Christmas tree at his home. 

Nines kept on smiling, even as Gavin stopped in his walk and looked at him shocked with a half-open mouth. Shock in his eyes.

Then he cast his eyes down, grumbled a “Fucking androids” and stormed ahead. Not really running away, maybe more trying to get some distance between him and Nines. 

He didn’t take it to heart, caught up to the other easily in a few steps, walking again next to him. His circuits tingled pleasantly and warm inside him, the smile not leaving his lips. 

When he dared to even step a little closer to the human in their walk, their arms with their hands still in their jacket pockets nearly touching, Gavin didn’t move away. Maybe even moved a tidbit closer himself, but Nines could be imagining that. 

He maybe didn’t know all about Christmas yet or about what it meant to be human, but he clearly knew now, that he enjoyed the company of his partner and that said partner also did so. 

And for that he thought, he liked Christmas. Even with all this awful music.

**Author's Note:**

> Man do I hate "Last Christmas" by Wham
> 
> Come say hi on Twitter at @Anny05943342 for more G9 stuff!


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